During this workshop, participants take part in a series of long-durational exercises to improve focus, stamina, concentration, resistance to pain and ability to break through physical and mental boundaries.
We believe that if artists are given the opportunity to be in nature, away from distraction, and to participate in exercises that had an inward focus, they are more likely to have fresh ideas and to be able to execute performances that required intense focus and determination.
The Cleaning the House workshops have traditionally been used to prepare performers, however today the process is open to everyone.
5 days. All cellphones, laptops, watches, and electronic devices will be collected. During the workshop, participants should refrain from eating, speaking, and reading. The workshops are facilitated by artists trained by Marina Abramović.
NEC's view
We have been long-time admirers of Marina Abramović and her career, so the Cleaning the House workshop offered through the Marina Abramović Institute catches our attention. It is designed as an immersive training in presence and endurance, using exercises that Abramović herself has practiced for decades.
For us, what stands out is how the workshop encourages participants to slow down, strip away distraction, and confront their own limits. It is not about performance in the usual sense, but about building a different kind of awareness and discipline. These skills feel just as relevant to daily life as to art.
We see this workshop as a rare opportunity to explore what it means to train body and mind with the same seriousness usually reserved for craft or sport.
